Character dev resource: Why does your character break the law?

Forged in the Dark Scum & Villainy
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When creating a character in Blades or S&V, a useful exercise can be to think about why your character breaks the law. Here are the options I have given my players in the past:

  1. I have serious problems with authority
  2. I do what needs to be done to get the mission done
  3. I have my own personal set of rules that I consider to be more important than the laws of others
  4. I love chaos
  5. I generally follow the law but break it when I have to.
  6. My character is too stupid / head in the clouds to care about laws. It does not even occur to them that laws are something that can be followed or broken.

What other reasons can we think of?

The goal here isn’t that they must pick one, more that it gives them some ideas to brainstorm around.

2 Likes
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The most obvious for me is they just don’t really care. They do something, they get money out of it, no need to question legality or morality outside of basic risk assessment.

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One I’m using for a less gritty game: Because the law’s wrong.

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  1. Their hero was a famous criminal who they’re actively modelling themselves after
  2. The world provides no legitimate path to improving their life
  3. They’re seeking validation from their friends who all went criminal
  4. The law’s already after them for one reason or another